Book Blog

Blog tour: Courage of the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

I love world war fiction and one of my favourite sub-genres is the role of women in World War II. During the war, with males enlisting in the army and navy, the industrial workforce started falling short. Who was to help with the war effort if half the workforce was in the war itself?

Women, of course! They started entering the field in droves, working as lumberjills, riveters, shipyard workers, and more. Nancy Revell has written an entire series of books about female shipyard workers. I reviewed the fifth book in the series last year and I picked up the latest, the sixth, yesterday.

Goodreads synopsis:

Sunderland, 1942: Polly’s heart and her future are hanging in the balance…

Polly’s sweetheart Tommy has been declared missing while serving overseas, and although there is no certainty that he is dead, there is no guarantee that he will return home. Now Polly needs her friends more than ever, and the other women welders are ready to rally around her while she waits for news.

The only one not showing support is shipyard manager, Helen. But looks can be deceiving, and beneath her cold exterior, Helen is wrestling with demons of her own, including one life-changing decision that could lead to potential ruin.

As the war continues, the shipyard girls must support one another as they bravely soldier on.

Review:

In Courage of the Shipyard Girls, the saga continues. The war is still raging and back home in Sunderland, the titular girls continue standing together in solidarity. The sixth book focuses on Polly and Helen, two women who have been against each other since the beginning of the series.

Polly’s fiancé is declared missing while being enlisted overseas. And everyone knows that someone who’s declared missing more often than not is declared dead later. Helen, the stoic shipyard manager, is going through her own crisis–the man she thought would give her her happily ever after is actually married. And she’s pregnant with his child.

How these two women come to terms with their grief and learn to accept the help of the other shipyard girls forms the rest of the story.

I finished this book in a day because of how riveting it was. The characters are fleshed out really well–they’re unique and extremely memorable. Here’s a bunch of women who support each other, show solidarity, and will do anything for their group of friends. These are women you can’t help but root for.

The story is fast-paced and intriguing, which is why it was possible for me to finish it in a day. That, and the fact that I didn’t want to miss my blog tour stop, but who’s keeping track of it? 😛

Courage of the Shipyard Girls is a fascinating tale of strong women who have got each others’ backs. It’s a story of love, loss, and solidarity. And most of all, it is a story that reminds us that no matter the death and destruction around you, there’s always hope. And that’s all you need, really.

Rating: 4 out of 5

All the wonderful stops of this blog tour:

About Nancy Revell:

Nancy Revell is the pseudonym of Amanda Revell Walton a writer and journalist that has worked for all the national newspapers, providing them with hard-hitting news stories and in-depth features. She has also worked for just about every woman’s magazine in the country, writing amazing and inspirational true life stories. Nancy has recently relocated back to her home town of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, with her husband, Paul, and their English Bull Mastiff, Rosie. They live just a short walk away from the beautiful award-winning beaches of Roker and Seaburn, within a mile of where The Shipyard Girls series is set. The subject is close to Nancy’s heart as she comes from a long line of shipbuilders, who were well-known in the area.

I attended the Soroptimist 80th birthday celebration at the grand hotel last week Nancy Revell was guest speaker. It was an honour and privilege to meet her. Absolutely lovely lady I was quite emotional with her speech

About Shruti Ramanujam

Shruti Ramanujam is a blogger who enjoys reading and reviewing books. She’s usually got her nose in a book and slouches from the metaphorical weight of all the books she’s yet to read on her shoulders. When she’s not reading or writing about herself in the third person, she binge-watches TV shows and makes self-deprecating jokes.